Politics & Economics of the European Union Midterm

Council of Ministers

- It is part of the essentially bicameral EU legislature (the other legislative body being the European Parliament) and represents the executive governments of the EU's member states. - Presidency: Slovakia (Currently) - Seats: 28

Why hasn't Turkey been added?

Have not admitted to the Armenian Genocide.

Collapse of Communist Regimes in Central and Southeastern Europe (Year)

1989

Bulgarian & Romanian Enlargement (Year)

2013

European Council

- Defines the EU's overall political direction and priorities. - President: Donald Tusk - Founded: 1961

European Parliament

- Exercises the legislative function of the EU. - President: Martin Schulz - Number of Members: 751 (CZ has 21)

Treaty of Rome (Year, Significance)

- Signed in 1957, entered into force in 1958 - Proposed the progressive reduction of customs duties and the establishment of a customs union. - Proposed to create a single market for goods, labour, services, and capital across the EEC's member states. - Proposed the creation of common transport and agriculture policies and a European social fund and established the European Commission.

Lisbon Treaty (Year, Significance)

- Signed in 2007, entered into force in 2009. - Amends the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome - Consolidated legal personality for the EU

European Central Bank

- The central bank for the euro. - Administers monetary policy of the eurozone, which consists of 19 EU member states and is one of the largest currency areas in the world. - President: Mario Draghi

The Commission

- The executive body of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU. - President: Jean-Claude Juncker - Number of Members: 28

European Court of Justice

- The highest court in the European Union in matters of European Union law. As a part of the Court of Justice of the European Union it is tasked with interpreting EU law and ensuring its equal application across all EU member states. - President: Koen Lenaerts - Established: 1952 - Number of Members: 28

Marshall Plan (Year, Purpose)

1947. $13 billion in aid given to western Europe. Invested into infrastructure, steel, coal.

Division of Germany (Year)

1949

NATO Established (Year)

1949

Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (Years Active)

1949-1991

European Steel and Coal Community (Year, Signees)

1951. Established by the Treaty of Paris. Signed by Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Hungarian Revolution (Year, Significance)

1956. Though leaderless when it first began, it was the first major threat to Soviet control since the USSR's forces drove out Nazi Germany from its territory at the end of World War II and broke into Central and Eastern Europe.

Foundation of European Integration Process (Year)

1957

European Free Trade Area (Year, Non-EU Member States)

1960. Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein.

EEC dissolved into EU (Year)

1970

First Enlargement of the EU - What year? - Who was added and why?

1973. - UK: tried to join EU earlier, but France vetoed due to fear of increased US influence on Europe through GB. - Denmark: Agrarian production 4x what they could consume. - Ireland: Wanted to avoid bilateral dependence with Great Britain. - *Almost* Norway: Slight majority of Norwegians voted against joining. Potentially did not want to open Norway's natural resources to Europe; fish and oil.

Maastricht Treaty (Year, Significance)

1992. - Led to the creation of the euro. - One of the obligations of the treaty for the members was to keep "sound fiscal policies, with debt limited to 60% of GDP and annual deficits no greater than 3% of GDP". - 3 Pillars - Economy - Common Market, Single Market. - Possibility of Euro. - European Central Bank, established in F/M. - Foreign Policy - Joint Foreign and Defense Policy - Legal Integration - Federal states vs. Confederal states. Still undecided.

Countries of Neutrality Enlargement (Year, Countries)

1995. Austria, Sweden, Finland.

Big Bang Enlargement (Year, Countries)

2004. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Ukraine-EU Association Agreement (Year, Purpose)

2014. Agreement to cooperate and converge economic policy, legislation, and regulation across a broad range of areas, including equal rights for workers, steps towards visa-free movement of people, the exchange of information and staff in the area of justice, the modernization of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and access to the European Investment Bank.

6 Founding Countries of the EU

Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

European Economic Community (Year, Purpose)

Created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957. A regional organization which aimed to bring about economic integration among its member states (common market). In 2009 the EEC's institutions were absorbed into the EU's wider framework and the community ceased to exist.

European Atomic Energy Community (Year, Purpose)

Created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Tasks included: - investments in the nuclear industry - cooperation in research and development - health protection - nuclear common market - cooperation in dealing with nuclear fuel - a common approach towards third world countries

2 Requirements to Join the EU

Free Market Economy & Democracy

Mediterranean Enlargement (Years by Country, Countries Added)

Greece - 1981 Spain & Portugal - 1986

Velvet Revolution (Date)

November 17, 1989

Fall of the Berlin Wall (Date)

November 9, 1989

Greece

Population: 11 Million President: Prokopis Pavlopoulos Prime Minister: Alexis Tsipras Capital: Athens

EU's Supra-National Institutions

The Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice.